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Draft Punks

Draft Punks

By Draft Punks

The Draft Punks are three friends (and a special guest each week) who decided just ranking a list wasn't competitive enough. So we each draft a team based on a specific category, and then ask you, the listeners to tell us who wins each week.
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Episode 32: Cardinal Directions

Draft PunksMar 18, 2021

00:00
01:52:04
Episode 78: Chill Songs - Bracket Punks

Episode 78: Chill Songs - Bracket Punks

Hey folks! We've got a new format for you to check out this episode. This is a capture of our audio recording from Twitch where we let Ali and Travis debate and try to convince us of what the most chill songs are. We matched up 8 songs from each of them in a tournament bracket and voted each round to see which songs would advance to the finals. Let us know what you think!

Feb 26, 202401:48:44
Episode 77: Jackbox Games

Episode 77: Jackbox Games

Whoa, we're back! Happy New Year punks! As a heads up, we recorded this episode through Audacity, and Brian forgot to take any time stamps, so a couple of swears snuck in. This episode is marked as explicit, but we still wanted to warn you in case you listen with your kiddos! In this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable Holden Hintz of How To Waste Your Time, along with Chris Bartlett of Friendly Fire, to talk about our favorite Jackbox Games!

Feb 02, 202401:32:37
Episode 76: Zelda Casting

Episode 76: Zelda Casting

Our extended Summer Break is over and we're back with a new episode featuring Pete of the incredible Hello Hyrule podcast! In this one, we try to make the definitive list of who should be cast in an upcoming Zelda project. The lists quickly go in *very* different, sometimes bewildering directions, but hey, we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording!

Sep 03, 202301:24:20
Episode 75: PAX East Things

Episode 75: PAX East Things

Preston and Ryan are joined by Bob Buel and Jacob McCourt to draft all things PAX East 2023! Whether it's games, food, interactions, or, yes, PINS, anything is fair game in this draft! Thank you  @JacobMcCourt  and  @bobbuel  for joining us. Click their names to find their YT channels! https://twitter.com/JacobMcCourt 

Jacob's Video Game Trivia Live Panel: https://youtu.be/g_oSfL6AUx8 

Bob's 99 Questions: https://twitter.com/99questionspod 

Friendly Fire Games Pod Episode 2: https://youtu.be/HPDLIM9xDNg 

Ryan's Friendly Fire Games Pod:  @friendlyfiregamespod  

Below is a full list of sites where you can follow up on any draft that sounds interesting to you, including a few sweet panels! Don't forget, if any game on this draft interests you, wishlist it on Steam! It helps the developers immensely! 

Vinyls: https://videogamesnewyork.com/VINYL

Infernax : https://store.steampowered.com/app/374190/Infernax/ 

Sparks from Rabble Games: https://www.rabblegame.com/products/sparks-a-conversation-game-inspired-by-late-nights-under-the-stars 

#EveryDaywefight: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1546080/Every_Day_We_Fight/ 

PINS: https://www.penny-arcade.com/pinny-arcade 

#PacificDrive : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1458140/Pacific_Drive/ 

SALVAGE from 3301 Games: https://www.3301.games/salvage-deep-space 

Death Roads: Tournament: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1619570/Death_Roads_Tournament/ 

Flour Bakery and Cafe: https://www.flourbakery.com/ 

#TheMageseeker: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1457080

Mud from Pillbox Games: https://www.pillboxgames.com/mud 

#Wrestlestory: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2357610/Wrestle_Story/ 

#GoodbyeVolcanoHigh: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1310330/Goodbye_Volcano_High/ 

#demonschool : https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool/ 

#shumi: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1740300/Shumi_Come_Home/ 

#homeseek: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2093000/Homeseek/


Apr 06, 202301:59:02
Episode 74: Driving Games
Mar 23, 202301:37:01
Episode 73: 2022 Movies
Mar 10, 202302:05:27
Episode 72: Fantasy Critic 2023

Episode 72: Fantasy Critic 2023

After an epic intro by the queen of Fantasy Critic herself, Isla Hinck, the Punks are back with a TEN person draft to kick off the new year. That's right, it's time for us all to put on our reviewer hats and talk about our most anticipated games of the year in our annual fantasy critic draft! If you enjoy the episode, consider checking us out on twitter and twitch @realdraftpunks, and joining our Discord where you can vote on your favorite list every episode.

Jan 24, 202302:03:35
Episode 71: Wholesome Games

Episode 71: Wholesome Games

This week we're celebrating the wholesome games that bring us together with Janet Garcia and Haley MacLean! Whether you're listening to this during the holiday season or in the middle of summer, we want you to reach out to someone who matters to you and let them know. And we want you to know that you matter too! Thank you so much to Janet and Haley for taking time from their busy holiday schedule to join us!

The picks this week are all over the place, from an AR game that got us going outside together to a life sim that had us join forces to game the stocks and tear down racoon capitalism.

Dec 23, 202202:13:08
Trivia Punks: Jacob McCourt

Trivia Punks: Jacob McCourt

We're back baby! It's been not quite a year since our last episode of Trivia Punks, and we're bringing it back with a banger. We're joined by Jacob McCourt of the Left Behind Game Club podcast, and Video Game Trivia show on YouTube. In this episode we talk about whether Kirby spits or swallows, Cold Play vs. Coldplay, and perhaps the hottest take in gaming history. Is Mario the best Mario brother!? Listen to find out Jacob's opinion, and let us know what you'd like to see from future Trivia Punks episodes!

Dec 20, 202201:16:36
Episode 70: Valorant Agents

Episode 70: Valorant Agents

Travis, Preston and Brian are joined by the ever eloquent caster Vansilli in this episode to talk about their favorite Valorant agents! Who will go first? Who will build a team of all duelists, and who will draft Yoru? You'll have to listen to find out. At the end, Preston and Vansilli have a great chat about what it takes to be successful in the world of casting and esports. If it's a field that's ever interested you, you won't want to miss it!

Dec 01, 202201:55:32
Episode 69: Nice (Things)

Episode 69: Nice (Things)

In this episode, Preston, Travis, and Brian are joined by a very nice man named Bob to draft very Nice things. This one was a bit of a wild recording, and we let Preston handle the editing, so fair warning. We hope you enjoy!

Oct 22, 202201:34:03
Episode 68: Stephen King Novels

Episode 68: Stephen King Novels

Travis and Brian are joined by a couple of Constant Readers named Mike and Brian's Mom to talk about their favorite Stephen King novels. We hope you enjoy floating with us, and follow the beam to our twitter and twitch, @realdraftpunks. And if you're super keen, join our Discord (Link on Twitch) to vote for your favorite list and help decide who gets #1 pick next week!

Sep 17, 202202:03:39
Episode 66: Casting Special: X-Men in the MCU

Episode 66: Casting Special: X-Men in the MCU

We are back with our first newly recorded episode in 4 months! And to celebrate, we're trying something slightly different with the format. To celebrate our long anticipated (by us) return, we're talking about another hotly anticipated project- aka whatever the heck it is Marvel plans to do with the X-Men. In this episode, we fancast our own X-Men MCU film along with guest host from The Spelunkers and Gotta Rank Em All, Ryan Stabell! Enjoy! 

Aug 05, 202201:27:47
Episode 65: Meta

Episode 65: Meta

So we recorded an episode of the podcast... back in March. Real meta is apparently having a kid, and being so stressed out and tired all the time it takes you 4 months to feel capable of editing for an hour! I'm not sure what the future holds for the Draft Punks, and maybe that's the most meta piece of it all. Join Rob, Brian, Travis, and special gueston Preston as we draft our favorite meta moments in various media platforms! Then check us out on Twitter @realdraftpunks, where you can join our Discord and vote for your favorites!

Jul 25, 202201:34:49
Episode 64: Law

Episode 64: Law

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by the wonderful Haley MacLean of Game and Make Up to talk about the LAW! We cover it all here, from birdmen, to wizards, to Bob Loblaw's best Law Bombs. We hope you enjoy the episode, and listen to the end where we discuss a special streaming event we'll be doing the weekend of March 5th, 2022. 

Mar 01, 202201:19:13
Episode 63: Legends of Arceus

Episode 63: Legends of Arceus

Brian is joined by three amazing guests this week! Ryan Stabell and Chris Bartlett from the Spelunkers along with Mike Tucker of Game and Make Up for the last game Brian will get to enjoy with any of them before they're all lost to Elden Ring. We break down our favorite (mostly new) pokemon of the Hisui region in Legends: Arceus! Follow us on Twitter @realdraftpunks and join our Discord to vote on your favorite team to help us determine who gets first pick in the next draft!

Feb 22, 202201:23:04
Episode 62: Time Travel

Episode 62: Time Travel

Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined by Werehog Review Club Founder and our Logo Designer Alex Brinegar to tackle a tricky topic, time travel! Join us as things get weird from the jump and we spend a couple hours trying to piece together what just happened! As always, if you enjoy the episode, please consider writing us a review or leaving us a star rating on iTunes or Spotify!

Jan 27, 202201:47:30
Episode 61: Fantasy Critic 2022

Episode 61: Fantasy Critic 2022

Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined by a plethora of guests for the kickoff of the Fantasy Critic 2022 League! We are joined by Level Zero's Preston Willke, Game and Make Up's Mike Tucker and Haley MacLean, Hello Hyrule's Chris Babbino, The Spelunker's Ryan Stabell, 99 Questions host Bob Buel, and Werehog Review Club's Alex Brinegar! Each of us chooses 5 games we think are going to crush it in 2022, and one game that we don't! Throughout the year we'll give updates on all of our picks and how the league shakes out. We hope you enjoy listening!

Jan 16, 202201:58:04
Episode 60: Game of the Year 2021

Episode 60: Game of the Year 2021

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined once more by the wonderful Cam, aka Mahvl, to talk about their games of the year. As per usual, things get off the rail quickly, but the crew fought through audio hiccups and Cam's anachronistic list to have a blast discussing the best games they played this year!

Jan 05, 202202:08:33
Episode 59 - Song Draft Vol. 2

Episode 59 - Song Draft Vol. 2

Happy Thanksgiving! The punks are back! Well, some of them at least. Rob and Travis are joined by former guests Ryan and Holden to talk more obscure, awesome music. This time, the focus is all on the instruments, because it's, well, an instrumental draft! We hope you enjoy the episode, and we're excited to bring you more content through December and the New Year!

Nov 24, 202101:47:35
Trivia Punks - O'Dell Harmon Jr.

Trivia Punks - O'Dell Harmon Jr.

Preston and Brian were joined for the newest episode of everyone's favorite trivia show by O'Dell Harmon Jr.! O'Dell has worked with Game Informer, GameSpot, Game Fanatics, and is the host of the wonderful The Full Circle Podcast. Please go check it out after you listen to this episode, where we talk about traveling to Tokyo, the many regions of Pokemon, and enjoy our wildest music round yet.

Oct 20, 202101:12:45
Trivia Punks: Wes Bates

Trivia Punks: Wes Bates

Preston and Brian are back with the most quizzical spin-off you know! This month we're joined by Wes Bates of the Great Game Debate podcast to talk about the Simpsons, Journey, and... Rodeo? We'll hogtie you if it gets you to listen, so come check out this new episode and let us know what you think! We're on Twitter at RealDraftPunks, where you can find a link to our Discord in our bio!

Sep 13, 202101:02:52
Episode 57: Animal Groups

Episode 57: Animal Groups

Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined by the lovely Ozzie Seshie to talk about our favorite Animal Groups, from rats to hippos, from bats to buffalo, and the biggest shambles in the episode seems to be one pick that DIDN'T get taken, somehow. We hope you enjoy listening, and go check us out on twitter @realdraftpunks to hear more! Join our discord (link in our twitter bio) to vote for your favorite list in each episode and help determine our winners!

Sep 09, 202101:11:57
Episode 56: Metal

Episode 56: Metal

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by their friend Zachary Russell, better known as Quokimbo, to talk about all things metal! As you can guess, it goes off the rails by round 2. We hope you enjoy the episode, and consider joining our Discord by going to our twitter, @realdraftpunks, and clicking on the link in our bio! Thanks for listening!

Sep 02, 202101:36:02
Episode 55: Musicals

Episode 55: Musicals

Brian and Travis are joined by Mikel and Kati to talk about their favorite stars of the stage! We talked about all of our favorite musicals, reminisced on a lot of childhood memories, and generally just had a blast listening to incredible showtunes. If you like the episode, please consider checking us out on Twitter @realdraftpunks, and consider joining our Discord! There's a link in the twitter bio, no need to Wait For It!

Aug 26, 202102:16:14
Episode 54: Nerds

Episode 54: Nerds

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by the host of the Calm Down, Nerd podcast, Eric Smith! You can probably guess what we drafted, but AKSHUALLY, you should listen to the episode if you want to find out who we picked, and *pushes up glasses with awkward asterisk text describing actions* then come join us on Discord to let us know what we got right so we can prove you wrong. Link to our Discord on our twitter bio, @realdraftpunks.

Aug 19, 202101:35:46
Episode 53: Elements

Episode 53: Elements

Rob, Travis, and Brian are joined in their season 2 kickoff episode by honorary Punk Ryan Stabell, making his record 8th appearance on the show! And for this one, we're tackling an oldie but goodie from the Discord server, our favorite elements. This one goes all the way back to an in-joke from our original trailer, but we're excited to finally bring it back around to a real episode. We said we'd draft science, and we did! ... Well, kinda. If you like the episode consider joining our Discord so you can vote for your favorites and let us know what we missed. There is a link on our twitter bio @realdraftpunks!

Aug 12, 202101:18:32
Episode 52: Self-Indulgence Anniversary Spectacular!

Episode 52: Self-Indulgence Anniversary Spectacular!

It's season finale timeeeeee! We are so proud of all we've been able to accomplish the last year thanks to the contributions of our incredible community and server, so we took an episode to reflect on lots of our favorite, funniest, and most heartwarming moments of the last year with good friend of the show (and great sport) Preston.   At the start of the show, we make a huge announcement, which I'm so excited to talk more about, but don't want to spoil. Really, you only need to listen to the opening portion to find out! But some big changes are coming to the Discord later today!   Thank you, as always, to Alex. (new CHAMPION) for our art, Greg for our opening theme music, and Drifter for our closing jam. And thank you to all of you for an incredible first year. Next week kicks off season 2, and we can't wait for what else it brings, from new friends, to new events, to new fun shows.

Aug 05, 202102:03:16
Trivia Punks: Bob Buel

Trivia Punks: Bob Buel

Trivia Punks is a brand new show where Preston Willke and Brian Keese bring in a new guest each month to play a game show completely tailored to them based on their interests, hobbies, and more! For our premiere episode, we are joined by 99 Questions host Bob Buel to talk about everything from Professional Wrestling to Final Fantasy 9! We hope you enjoy the show, and please consider joining our Discord (Link in our twitter @realdraftpunks) if you have any feedback or suggestions for future episodes!

Aug 03, 202101:28:01
Episode 51: Video Game Vacations

Episode 51: Video Game Vacations

Brian and Travis are joined this week by Ryan and Alex to talk about the places they'd most like to vacation (and hopefully not get brutally murdered) from some of their favorite video games! From Final Fantasy 7 to Final Fantasy 8, we really cover it all in this episode! Please consider joining us on Discord if you'd like to vote for your favorite list or give us any feedback on the episode!

Jul 29, 202101:32:48
Episode 50: Star Wars Characters

Episode 50: Star Wars Characters

Jedi Master Brian, Sith Lord Travis, and Astromech Droid R0-B1 are joined by the scruffiest looking of nerf herders, Erik Hiles, to talk about our favorite characters from a galaxy far, far away. Who is the #1 pick? Who is the biggest meatbag? And who did Erik pick in round 2 that put Brian in huge shambles? You'll have to tune in to find out! As always, thanks for listening, and check us out on twitter @realdraftpunks to find a link to our Discord!

Jul 22, 202101:23:47
Episode 49: Donuts

Episode 49: Donuts

Brian is back, but maybe a week too early as he's dealing with a slight cold. Travis, Rob, and special guest Holden Hintz help get him through it so the crew can talk about their favorite donuts, a subject certain to make anyone feel better. If you enjoy the episode please consider joining our Discord to help us vote on the winner and suggest future topics!

Jul 15, 202101:12:13
Episode 48: Bloodborne Bosses

Episode 48: Bloodborne Bosses

Brian's on vacation, so Rob and Travis found the perfect guests in Isla Hinck and Chris Babbino! And since Brian was gone, the crew took the opportunity to draft a very personal topic, their favorite bosses from Bloodborne! From Vicar Amelia to Father Gascoigne, all your favorite members of the cloth are here! So join us for this deep, DEEP dive into all the best Bloodborne Bosses. And if you want to join in and vote for the winner of the episode, check our our Discord! A link can be found on our twitter @realdraftpunks.

Jul 09, 202102:56:58
Episode 47: Gen 1 Pokemon

Episode 47: Gen 1 Pokemon

Rob, Travis, and Brian are joined by Spelunkers and Gotta Rank Em All host Chris Bartlett to talk about the best pokemon of the OG 151 (and then some). Come and join in as we kick off a fun crossover week that features Chris joining us and Travis joining the Gotta Rank Em All show! If you like the show, leave a review, and subscribe. You can also go to our twitter @realdraftpunks and find a link to our Discord to join our community!

Jul 01, 202101:28:29
Episode 46: Fair Food

Episode 46: Fair Food

Rob, Travis, and Brian are joined by Jonah Gomez of the wonderful Great Game Debate podcast to talk about a summer tradition unlike any other: Going to the local fair and eating greasy fried food! Join us as we cover it all, from turkey legs to deep fried oreos. Then join us on discord to talk about your favorites and vote to decide our champion. There's a link in our twitter bio @realdraftpunks!

Jun 24, 202101:34:26
Episode 45: Secret Societies

Episode 45: Secret Societies

Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined this week by Prima Games editor Jesse Vitelli to talk about their favorite shadowy organizations, secret societies, and cults on this new episode. If you enjoy listening, please consider leaving us a review or giving us a star rating to help new people find the show! And if you want to join in on the conversations and vote, you can become a member of our Discord by going to our Twitter @realdraftpunks and checking out our bio!

Jun 17, 202101:56:47
Episode 44: 90's Albums

Episode 44: 90's Albums

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by returning guest Nick to talk about our favorite albums of the 90's! This episode was full of fun discussion and a lot of variation in list composition. We hope y'all enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording! Please consider joining our Discord if you want to take part in the vote after each episode! There's a link in our twitter bio @realdraftpunks.

Jun 10, 202101:54:15
Episode 43: Game Trailers and Reveals

Episode 43: Game Trailers and Reveals

Rob, Travis, and Brian are joined this week by Game and Make Up's Mike Tucker to talk about our favorite video game trailers and reveals of all time! Oh, and one more thing... If you enjoy the episode, please come check us out on our Discord and help decide the winner! A link can be found on our twitter page, @RealDraftPunks

Jun 03, 202101:31:14
Episode 42: Muppets

Episode 42: Muppets

Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined once more by Dory and this time it's to get things started and talk about our favorite muppets! We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it! If you want to join our community, check us out on Twitter @realdraftpunks and you can find a link to our Discord!

May 27, 202101:43:57
Episode 41: Community Q+A

Episode 41: Community Q+A

Explicit Language Warning! Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by Katy, Ali, and Jess for our first ever live, in person show! Instead of doing a traditional draft episode we took questions from the community, and then picked our favorite to award them with a fabulous prize! Fair warning, this episode is live, and chaotic. Our sound quality is not as good as normal, there are interruptions, and for once, Travis and Rob are not censored by The Man. 

May 20, 202102:11:12
Episode 40: One Hit Wonders

Episode 40: One Hit Wonders

Brian, Rob, and Travis are joined by the O.G. champion Greg Griffith, host of the Level Zero podcast, to talk about their favorite One Hit Wonders. If you like the show please come and check out our twitter @realdraftpunks, which has a link to our Discord where you can join the discussion and vote for your favorite list and let us know what we missed!

May 13, 202102:07:25
Episode 39: The Good/Bad Name Game

Episode 39: The Good/Bad Name Game

This week Rob, Brian, and Travis are joined by the Great Game Debate's Kaedhen Bharathae-Lane (good name) to talk about our favorite bad games with good names, and good games with bad names. If you enjoy the show, please consider going to our twitter @realdraftpunks and joining our Discord community so you can vote for a winner!

May 06, 202101:48:59
Episode 38: Video Game Narration

Episode 38: Video Game Narration

Travis, Brian, and Rob are joined by Chris Babbino of the Hello Hyrule podcast to talk about our favorite video game narration and announcing. This was an episode full of controversial and interesting picks, and we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording! Find our twitter @realdraftpunks and join our Discord to vote for your favorite narration!

Apr 29, 202102:06:34
Episode 37: Baby Names

Episode 37: Baby Names

Rob, Travis, and Brian are joined by mom-to-be Mikel to celebrate the newest addition to the Draft Punk family by picking our favorite baby names. This episode was a mix of fun and poignant moments. Thanks so much to our community for celebrating this big milestone with us! Find us on twitter as always @realdraftpunks. There's a link to our Discord in our bio for anyone who wants to join our amazing group!

Apr 22, 202101:22:22
Episode 36: Game Shows

Episode 36: Game Shows

Come on dowwwwwn! Holden joins Brian, Travis, and Rob to talk about all of their favorite game shows, from childhood to today. Stick around to the end to hear if Holden can defend his crown on our own long running, totally real game show, Stump the Punks, and thanks for listening! Happy birthday Mom! Join our Discord if you want to join in the vote! A link can be found on our twitter, @realdraftpunks.

Apr 15, 202101:55:54
Episode 35: Video Game Levels

Episode 35: Video Game Levels

TW: This episode begins with a short statement about the recent, and re-occurring, gun violence in America. Then, this week, Rob, Travis, and Preston are joined by Game Informer's own, Alex Stadnik! Alex talks to us about a changing of the guard at Game Informer and filling the shoes of some of the biggest names in games journalism. And finally, we dive into a draft all about the best levels in video games! Make this the first level in your podcast queue this week, you don't want to miss it! You can find us on twitch and twitter @realdraftpunks, with a link to our discord on both!

Apr 08, 202102:23:21
Episode 34: Xbox Exclusives

Episode 34: Xbox Exclusives

We are joined this week once again by Ryan Stabell to talk about our favorite Xbox and PC Exclusive games. For more wonderful content like this, please check out the PSPremiere podcast and youtube show! Those folks really know and love their Microsoft games.

Apr 01, 202101:08:54
Episode 33: Pizza Toppings
Mar 25, 202101:22:29
Episode 32: Cardinal Directions

Episode 32: Cardinal Directions

Brian, Travis, and Rob are joined by Nick Vanunu to take the show in a whole new direction. Many of them, in fact. We talk about how Nick and Travis met, try to promote his new twitter account, and then get down to it. Big thanks to Nick for helping me out with the time stamps on this one, and we hope you all enjoy! And if you're asking yourself if there's an impromptu karaoke singing of Wild Wild West in this episode... yes. Yes there is. Check us out on twitter @realdraftpunks to find links to our Discord and other social media platforms!

Mar 18, 202101:52:04
Episode 31: Arcade Cabinets

Episode 31: Arcade Cabinets

Rob is back! And he, Travis, and Brian are joined by Bob Buel of the 99 Questions podcast to talk some nostalgia. In this episode we picked our favorite Arcade Cabinets from our youth, debated Ms. Pac-Man's relationship with Pac-Man, and wondered if the King of Kong was secretly a Christopher Guest join. At the top of the show, we also discuss our Fantasy Critic League results so far, and a new gave we've been playing called Voidigo, available on Steam in Early Access!

Mar 11, 202101:58:59